William "Billie" Nelson

Photo courtesy of Joshua Brackett's Eagle Scout Project

(September 16, 1882 - May 30, 1952)

The Lusk Herald

June 5, 1952

William Nelson to Be Buried Here

William Nelson, 69, a long time resident of Niobrara County died at the home of his niece, Mrs. John East of McMinnville, Ore., May 30th. The remains were shipped to Cheyenne where they were met by the hearse of the Peet Mortuary on Tuesday. Mrs. Zilla Zimmerman of Oregon accompanied the body of her uncle.

Funeral services will be held from the Peet Chapel on Thursday afternoon at 2:30 with Rev. Clyde Hampton officiating. Casket bearers will be nephews of Mr. Nelson. Masonic services will be conducted at the grave. Interment will be made by the side of his sister, Mrs. Margaret Howell who died several years ago.

William Nelson was engaged in ranching and farming in the Hat Creek community for many years but retired a few years ago and went to McMinnville to make his home with his nieces.

Beside a number of nieces which include Mrs. Fred Bryant of Hat Creek, he is survived by two sisters, Mrs. George Wickersham and Mrs. Cena Lewis, both of Harrison and a brother, H. L. Nelson of Avon, So. Dak.

A complete obituary will be published next week.

The Lusk Herald
June 12, 1952
Last Rites Held For William Nelson

Last rites for William Nelson were held from the Peet Chapel Thursday, June 5, at 2:30 p.m. with the Rev. Clyde E. Hampton officiating.

The songs, "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In the Garden," were sung as a duet by Mrs. A. F. DeCastro and Mrs. Emerson Bonner accompanied by Miss Alice Fowler.

Masonic services were conducted at the grave by members of Harmony Lodge No. 24 A. F. & A. M. Mr. Nelson was a member of the Lusk lodge.

William Nelson, sixth son of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Nelson, was born in Kelley, Ia., Sept. 16, 1882. While still in his infancy the family moved to a homestead near O'Neill, Nebr., where they resided for a few years, then settled in Bon Homme County, S. D., where he received his education and spent his young manhood.

Always rather frail physically he met with a farm accident in his early twenties which left him a semi-invalid the remainder of his life. In 1913 he came to Hat Creek, Wyo. and filed on a homestead where the bracing climate and comparative ease of homestead life partly restored his health. After retiring he moved to McMinnville, Ore. where two of his nieces reside and made his home with them, although he usually returned to Lusk for the summers.

He died May 30 at the home of his niece, Mrs. John East, of McMinnville, Ore., and the body was accompanied back to Lusk by another niece, Mrs. Zilla Zimmerman.

The survivors include two brothers, H. L. Nelson of Avon, S. D., and N. M. Nelson of Oceanside, Calif., and two sisters, Mrs. Cena M. Lewis of Avon, S. D., and Mrs. Abbie Wickersham of Harrison, Nebr., and many nieces and nephews.

Out-of-town relatives here for the services included Mr. and Mrs. John East of McMinnvile, Ore., Mr. and Mrs. Charley Zimmerman, Jr., and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zimmerman, Sr., and son of Reedsport, Ore., Mr. and Mrs. Hans Nelson and son, Dale, and Mrs. Cena Lewis, all of Avon, S. D., and Mrs. George Wickersham of Harrison, Nebr.

Lusk Free Lance
June 12, 1952
Obituary - William Nelson

William Nelson, sixth child of Hans and Christena Nelson, was born in Kelley, Iowa, September 16th, 1882, and departed from this life on May 30th, 1952 at the age of 69 years, 8 months and 14 days.

While still in his infancy, the family moved to a homestead near O'Neil, Nebr., where they resided a few years until settling in Bon Homme Co., So. Dak., where he received his education and spent his young manhood.

Always rather frail, physically, he met with a farm accident in his early twenties which left him a semi-invalid for the remainder of his life.

In 1913, he came to Hat Creek, Wyo., and filed upon a homestead where the bracing climate and comparative ease of homestead life partly restored his health.

After leaving the homestead, he worked for a number of years at positions which he felt able to fill and then followed two of his nieces to McMinnville, Ore., where he remained until his death.

Uncle Billie, as he was called by his numerous nieces and nephews, was loved for his many virtues and will be sincerely mourned by those he left behind.

He leaves two brothers, M. M. Nelson of Oceanside, Calif., and H. L. Nelson of Avon, S. D.; two sisters, Cena M. Lewis of Avon, So. Dak., and Abbie Wickersham of Harrison, Nebr. Also numerous nephew and nieces, who are deeply grieved over his passing.